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The Astron Road Show

As the summer rolls along, so does Astron! The next stop finds the Astron Family in Orlando, Florida for the 2008 HR Florida Conference, from August 26th through the 27th. Come out and say hi to Paul Hart Miller, Director of Client Services; Jennifer C. Loftus, National Director; and Stephen A. Lella, Marketing Specialist. We’re excited for the Tuesday night concert with Morris Day and the Time!

After Orlando, Astron’s Paul Hart Miller and National Director, Michael Maciekowich can be found at the 2008 Vermont State SHRM Conference held between September 8th and 9th.

Come out and say hi to your favorite company, Astron Solutions! See you there!

Operation Backpack

Operation Backpack is a program run by the Volunteers of America each year, and their goal is to gather and fill up backpacks with school supplies for those in need of them for the upcoming school year. The program has been growing exponentially since its inception just a few years ago. Astron Solutions does their part by helping during sort week, where organizations from all over New York City come to donate their time to sort out the items and decide where these supplies should go. Other organizations run drives in their office to gather supplies and backpacks, and some do both! If you’re interested in helping out for this great cause, go to www.operationbackpacknyc.org for more information! We hope to see you at Sort Week!

This year’s Sort Week takes place August 20th – 22nd, and will be held at 345 Park Avenue South at 26th Street.

New York City isn’t the only city this drive is held! Check with your local VOA to see if you can help during Operation Backpack, or even start a new campaign! Here are photos from sort week the past few years here in New York City. Enjoy!

iShuffle

In the era where mobile media gizmos and gadgets are basically everywhere, the iPod emerged as the king. Whether it be on a plane, train, walking, even at work; seemingly everybody has an iPod. The Astron Solutions team is no different. So we’ve decided to take a peek at some of the team’s iPods to see what everybody is listening to. We’re going to have everybody set their iPod to shuffle all songs, and list out the first ten songs that play. Each edition of Astronology, we will have a different member of the Astron team partake in this lovely melting pot of music. Our first victim was National Director Jennifer C. Loftus, and here is what she is currently listening to:

1) Teitur – One and Only
2) Lionel Richie – Hello
3) Ne-Yo – Because of You
4) Campo – El Sonido de la Milonga
5) Duncan Sheik – Barely Breathing
6) Jefferson Airplane – White Rabbit
7) Gary Criss – Rio de Janeiro
8) Dr. Dre – Nuthin’ but a G Thang
9) Todd Rundgren – I Saw the Light
10) Big and Rich – Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy

Revel Entertainment

Revel Entertainment, one of Astron Solutions’ clients, experienced a horrific tragedy. A plane crashed in Minnesota, killing 8 employees of Revel Entertainment. Revel is currently in the process of building a new “mega-casino” in Atlantic City, NJ. The flight was leaving Atlantic City and heading for southern Minnesota. The crash happened 60 miles south of Minneapolis in Owatonna. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers here at Astron Solutions go out to the families of those in the crash.

More details can be found at these sites:

http://www.nbc10.com/news/17064612/detail.html?rss=phi&psp=news

Back to School – Part 1/3: Working and Learning – Can They Be Balanced?

Many people question whether or not it is practical to gain a higher degree, or undertake some sort of additional training. In an age where downsizing is possible anywhere, many people feel the need to diversify somehow. Education seems like a perfect resource. Continuing education while still working presents many questions, however: How can work and school be balanced? Does the organization gain any benefits from employee’s continuing education? Can an organization assist their employees? If so, then how?

Where Do Organizations Fit Within This?

Many organizations want the best employees possible. Some employees have a natural gift or a charismatic spirit, but what many organizations truly seek are excellent skills that contribute to the organization’s success. Employees may need to diversify their skills to facilitate movement within the organization and ensure success.

Across America, organizations are facing court cases over employees’ facial hair and general appearance. Many are not aware of what restrictions organizations can and cannot have in policy regarding facial hair. Take these cases, for example:

To address the skills gap issue, many organizations hold internal training sessions for different skills specific to organizational success. Employees may take the initiative to enroll in these courses, taking them systematically in case of an opportunity to move within the organization. Overall, however, many employers and employees seem to lean towards higher education for professional development.

Allowing an employee to continue his / her education can help foster personal and professional growth. As such, many organizations provide some sort of tuition reimbursement. Of course, no organization wants to give well earned money without something in return. Tuition reimbursement programs often have specific requirements that include the following:

• Contract work after completion of a degree or certification- Ensures that employers reap some benefit from an employee attaining a degree program on the organization’s dime. There may be a pre-determined amount of time the employee must continue to work at the organization after completion of school in order to obtain the full reimbursement.

• History of working within the organization- Some organizations may require an employee to be full-time to be eligible for the program. Others may require workers to have 3 or 6 months of service prior to receiving tuition reimbursement.

• Stipulation of payment- 100% of total costs? 75%? Or even 50%? Many policies include some sort payment clause. Some organizations offer a fixed dollar limit for reimbursement. Others will offer to pay for only job-related majors or courses. There also may be a certain GPA requirement in order to be eligible for tuition reimbursement.

Organizations can show support for an employee in other ways. In order to help an employee juggle work and school, some organizations permit workers to telecommute during finals or even permit flexible work hours. Take note, however, that if an employee decides to go back to school, they alone are responsible for their education. This may mean making sacrifices, and becoming more organized or sensitive to time management.

How Can Work and School Be Managed?

There are many areas an employee needs to address when discussing the possibility of going back to school. Questions in regards to finance, homework, family life, and work come into play. Many begin school but don’t finish. While disappointing the employee, this may also cause the organization to lose money. To ensure commitment and success, Credit.com gives these suggestions:

• Test Things First. Taking one or two courses can help determine whether not going back to school is really a viable option. Everyone has their own method, whether it’s online college or evening classes. Trying different things and seeing what fits perfectly for an employee will help make balancing school and work easier and successful.

• Time Management is a Must! Employees should already have skills in time management. Otherwise, how would they accomplish their current work duties? Time management becomes an even more pertinent skill when an employee is trying to meet the challenge of balancing school and work.

• Finding Financial Aid. Even as an adult student it is possible to gain some sort of state or government aid. That aid could help ease the burden on payment for both the employee and employer.

• Have Finance Systems In Practice. It’s not a secret that the home life can easily spill into work. With the added stress of schoolwork, things can go awry quickly. To help ease the stress, having a plan and a budget will help employees to have a happy balance between work, home, and school.

Drawbacks?

As with everything, there are some drawbacks to adult education. Bob Brady, founder and CEO of BLR, stated in an E-opinion article, “In an age in which all of us feel obligated to reduce everything to its dollars-and-cents value, no benefit is sacrosanct, but—at least so far—we haven’t considered eliminating tuition reimbursement. Inertia is part of the reason, but there is also the feeling that even if the economic benefit to the company doesn’t justify the expense, the social benefit of helping employees does.”

Brady goes on to mention that in some cases, employees have been upset when they did not receive an immediate promotion after completing a degree. Some organizational leaders do not like the idea of so much money going towards just a few people who decide to pursue higher education. Many would rather use the same money for more broader-based programs for the organization.

Whatever the scenario, adult education and its effects on an organization deserve serious thought. Organizations should carefully weigh whether they want to offer any sort of support for their employees pursuing higher degrees. Likewise, employees have to be aware of the effects going back to school may have on their home life and work. It is possible that the benefits do outweigh minor sacrifices…but every organization and person is different. The challenge lies in keeping a healthy balance where both parties win.

Reader Poll Archive

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Coming next time in Astronology

Back to School – Part 2 of 3: Internships – Creating an Internship Experience That Benefits Both Sides

Astron Road Show

The Astron mini-interview series continues, with blogmaster Andrew Katz

Mythbusters

iShuffle

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ISSN Number 1549-0467